Galaxy S4 preorders open, carrier availability and pricing revealed

With more than a month having passed since the Galaxy S4's grand unveiling, Samsung and its partners are gearing up for the device's availability next week by sharing launch information for the US. By the end of next month, the...

Nope, Samsung will get the same amount either way, but the Mobile company's will make the most by forcing the contract on you to have it at $200.

Example:
In the UK, you can get a brand new iPhone4s 16GB for £80 on T-Mobile
you can only get it at this price if you sign up to a contract of £30 a month for 24 months (2years)
It is unlimited everything (fair usage policy applies of course).
This works out at £800 including the phone, you just pay it over 24 months.

to buy the phone outright - £450
Pay-As-Go GiffGaff all you can eat internet (albeit, limited to 200 minutes of talk time) £12 a month and your not tied to anything and the phone is fully unlocked to go to any carrier you so wish.http://giffgaff.com/index/offer

so that makes buying the phone outright and getting a different plan much much cheaper.
24 month of giffgaff - £288 + £450 = £738 (not much of a saving but your not tied to anything).

I just don't get how a 7 inch tablet costs $200 flat out, but a 5 inch phone costs $750.

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I'd think there are several factors. One, the display densities on most, if not all, 7 inch tablets are aby0smal. Constructing 300+ ppi screens must be an expensive manufacturing process with high rate of loss (ala processor chips).

Two, connectivity radios such as LTE are considerably more expensive right now and the Nexus 7 doesn't ship with LTE at the $200 price point for this matter.

Three, smaller parts are more expensive, making a device what is both powerful and small at the same time takes a lot of engineering prowess.

Four, phones are a good way to make money these days, especially smartphones which are the latest craze. As good a reason as any.

I just don't get how a 7 inch tablet costs $200 flat out, but a 5 inch phone costs $750.

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Well, just like everything else, the price isn't based off the cost to make it, it's based off the cost people will pay. The price is where the supply equals the demand, not the cost of materials plus some percentage. Bluray DVDs probably cost less than their packaging and we pay $20 - $30 for them.

Those tear-down gadget websites price out high end phones at around $220 each to build (but we obviously have no idea the design cost of it). Tablets are probably only a little less. But people won't spend $500 on a 7 inch tablet... most people won't spend it on a phone either, the carriers help us afford them.

That's one reason the phone market is so competitive... it has huge margins. I think even Blackberry was able to make some money when they came out with their new phone.

I use a GS3 now and have no intention getting another, I dont like the large screen but I do find it to big for carrying in pockets, and with the horrible placement of the power button it even makes it harder to put in your pockets, without it always turning on.(Leaving your battery dead when you need it most)